Enhancing the Reproductive and Sexual Health of Women Through the Sustainable Development Goals

It will not be disputable to accept that if we all pause for a few minutes to think about how the world is becoming negligent of germane issues, especially the ones that are pressingly affecting the lives of women, we will begin to support the fact that there is the need for a call to actions.

This assertion can be understandably linked to Reproductive and Sexual Health Right Law; a course that primarily focuses on human rights. The most important and interesting fact about this course is its utmost concern for the good and wellness of people by carefully analyzing what it means to be human, historical development and everything that deals with enjoying the optimum right to health.

In the same vein, the course extends to being familiar with several laws which have been put in place to regulate human rights both locally and globally. Such laws include but are not restricted to Article 25 subsections 1 and 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Article 12 subsections 1 and 2 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

These bills of rights are set to make laws for the entire nation on human rights with the intention that each person shall be granted fundamental human rights in line with the stipulations of the law from which the right to health is not exempted.

Meanwhile, it is imperative to give acknowledgement to whom it is due. The impacts of the United Nations have been globally felt since its inception in 1945 ranging from Education, Health, Economy, Transformation, Leadership and Youth Inclusion amongst others. The United Nations adopted an initiative in 2015 to look into worldwide burning issues and how to tackle them.

See also: Article 18 ICCPR

As a result of that, it came up with seventeen (17) remarkable goals to be worked on and hopefully achieve by 2030. According to Sustainable Development Goals Action Campaign; “The Sustainable Development Goals adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provide a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – in a global partnership.” These goals are:

Image credit: Wikipedia

● No Poverty
● Zero Hunger
● Good Health And Well-being
● Quality Education
● Gender Equality
● Clean Water and Sanitation
● Affordable and Clean Energy
● Decent Work and Economic Growth
● Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
● Reduced Inequalities
● Sustainable cities and communities
● Responsible consumption and production
● Climate action
● Life below water
● Life on land
● Peace, justice and strong institutions
● Partnerships for the goals

However, it is important to note that all these goals also known as Global goals are designed to foster sustainable life for all and sundry. Our central focus shall be geared towards the provisions available that relate to the sexual health and reproductive health of women.

SDG 3 – Good health and well-being

In the first instance, the provision of SDG 3 (GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING) is a perfect example of a Sustainable Development Goal that relates to the sexual and reproductive health of women because the goal seeks to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all.

According to the Joint SDG Fund, “Since the creation of the Millennium Development Goals, there have been historic achievements in reducing child mortality, improving maternal health and tackling HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other diseases.

In 15 years, the number of people newly infected by HIV each year has dropped from 3.1 million to 2 million and over 6.2 million lives were saved from malaria. Since 1990, maternal mortality fell by 45 per cent, and worldwide there has been an over 50 per cent decline in preventable child deaths globally.

Despite this incredible progress, AIDS is the leading cause of death among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa, and 22 million people living with HIV are not accessing life-saving antiretroviral therapy. New HIV infections continue to rise in some locations and in populations that are typically excluded or marginalized.” This reiterates the fact that the United Nations through the initiative of these SDGs are exploring resources within their reach to ensure that women enjoy optimum health by ensuring their good health and well-being.

SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation

Image credit: Sustainable Tech, LinkedIn

In addition, the reproductive and sexual health of women as far as Sustainable Development Goals are concerned can be linked to SDG 6 which reads CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION. According to UNEP, “Sustainable Development Goal 6 goes beyond drinking water, sanitation and hygiene to also address the quality and sustainability of water resources, which are critical to the survival of people and the planet.

The 2030 Agenda recognizes the centrality of water resources to sustainable development and the vital role that improved drinking water, sanitation and hygiene play in progress in other areas, including health, education and poverty reduction.” This extends to enhancing clean water and making provisions for resources concerning optimum hygiene.

The reproductive and sexual health of women is a concern here because a woman needs good, clean and easily accessible water for her daily needs, she needs to maintain a high degree of personal and collective hygiene to be medically fit for reproduction.

SDG 5 – Gender equality

Furthermore, the reproductive and sexual health of women is also inherent in SDG 5 (GENDER EQUALITY). This goal aims to eradicate all forms of gender-based violence ranging from assault, stereotypes, discrimination and so on. The United Nations opines that “The social and economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has made the situation even bleaker.

Progress in many areas, including time spent on unpaid care and domestic work, decision-making regarding sexual and reproductive health, and gender-responsive budgeting, is falling behind. Women’s health services, already poorly funded, have faced major disruptions. Violence against women remains endemic.

And despite women’s leadership in responding to COVID-19, they still trail men in securing the decision-making positions they deserve. Commitment and bold action are needed to accelerate progress, including through the promotion of laws, policies, budgets and institutions that advance gender equality. Greater investment in gender statistics is vital since less than half of the data required to monitor Goal 5 are currently available.”

The implication of this is that there is a need to urge women’s inclusion in diverse areas such that men will not be the only ones filling up positions where women can also be found. The assurance of this will lead to the advancement of the reproductive and sexual health of women as intended by United Nations.

These SDGs about the reproductive and sexual health of women are also centered on different targets such as the elimination of harmful cultural practices, inhuman treatment of intimidation of women, domestic violence, and sexual exploitation amongst others. However, it is imperative to clear a biased thought that these treatments and concerns are in favor of women alone. We can attest to the fact that reproductive and sexual health is men and women

concerned but, the rate at which it concerns women is of the highest degree than men. This assertion can be proven in times of pregnancy, maternity, child delivery, cases of abortions and other related sexual and reproductive health matters.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Sustainable Development Goals otherwise known as Global goals have been championed by different countries without discrimination of any kind; these individuals have taken it upon themselves to be ambassadors of sustainable development ranging from good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, zero hunger, no poverty amongst others. It is important to note that these goals are also in line with enhancing the reproductive and sexual health of women which is the core concern of this course.

References

• Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all, Retrieved here
• Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, Retrieved here
• Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, Retrieved here/

About Author

Waleeyah Olalekan is a personal development tracker with major concerns in creativity, moderation and soft skills such as teamwork, effective communication, interpersonal relationships amongst others. She is a 400-level Law student at the University of Ibadan. Her areas of interest cut across Medical Law, Environmental Law, Intellectual Property Law and Islamic Law.